KCK man sentenced to 10 years in fatal Southwest Boulevard road rage shooting
A judge on Friday sentenced a 22-year-old Kansas City, Kansas, man to 10 years in prison for a fatal road rage shooting on Southwest Boulevard last year, court documents show.
Jackson County Circuit Judge Charles H. McKenzie sentenced Richard M. Guerrero to seven years for voluntary manslaughter and three years for armed criminal action in the death of Adrian “Tony” Velez-Esparza in late June 2024. The sentences are to run consecutively.
McKenzie granted Guerrero credit for time already served, including about one year and four months spent on electronic monitoring.
Guerrero pleaded guilty to the charges in early September. Prosecutors initially charged Guerrero with second-degree murder, two counts of armed criminal action, and unlawful use of a weapon. They amended the murder charge to the lesser charge of voluntary manslaughter, and after his plea, dismissed the unlawful use of a weapon and one count of armed criminal action. The plea came just days before Guerrero was scheduled stand trial.
At 7:25 p.m. on June 29, 2024, police found Velez-Esparza shot in the driver’s seat of a black Acura on Southwest Boulevard. He was taken to the hospital, where he later died.
Witnesses reported hearing cars honking and saw Velez-Esparza arguing with the driver of a dark-colored Chevrolet Malibu. They then heard what sounded like gunshots before the Acura rolled forward and crashed into a wall outside La Bodega, according to court documents.
Surveillance footage led detectives to Guerrero, who was detained several days later after a traffic stop by the Kansas Highway Patrol and Johnson County sheriff’s deputies.
Guerrero told detectives that Velez-Esparza yelled, made gestures and threw water bottles at his car. Guerrero said he felt threatened, and he fired one shot before fleeing. No weapon was found in Velez-Esparza’s car.
